La Leila

Part One

“What’s going on?” Lei asked clinging to the armrest of her seat.  The belt around her was digging in tighter. She felt rattled, and on edge, she could hardly take in a deep breath.  Her bodyguard tightened her belt for her.

“I don’t know signorina,” Angelo Porres said worriedly. The turbulence was getting worse and even the cabin crew was looking worried.

“Well, something is not right,” Lei decided.  “This plane feels like it’s on the verge of falling out of the sky.”

Her words were barely out when the plane shuddered violently persuading all the passengers to hang on for dear life.  The pilot’s voice came through the p.a. and his calm voice said,

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain.  We are experiencing some bad weather and the turbulence is getting dismal.  Please remain calm and seated, the situation is under control.”

The plane shook again, and Lei couldn’t help wondering just what he meant by control.  Glancing at Angelo, trying to seek assurance from his usually calm facade, she was surprised to find him as rattled as she.  Taking in a deep breath, she leaned her head on the comfortable leather first class seat and closed her eyes. 

Her mind instantly turned to her family and the life she’d painstakingly built in the last five years.  At twenty-eight, she was a divorced woman who owned a fashion business where she produced her own designs.  She also had a five year old daughter. Her parents were the only people she could rely on, her ex-husband was a bastard and she’d decided that dedicating her life to her daughter and business was the key to any happiness she’d ever get.  An image of her dark haired little angel flashed in her mind as the plane seemed to shriek again and fear struck her a new.

“Signorina it will be okay,” Angelo said quietly.  His voice heavy with his Italian accent, sounded as frightened as ever.  The fact that he tried to reassure her despite his own worry was touching.  He’d been with her for three years now.  He shared the job of protection with his brother Fernando.  They were part of her family and she was grateful to them for what they had done for her.  Fernando had been delayed on this trip because their mother had needed to go to hospital.  Lei had insisted he stay with her.  They were supposed to be landing in London in thirty minutes for the fashion week.  Unfortunately, she highly doubted that since the plane felt like it was breaking apart now. 

Sighing, she said in a soft soothing voice using their mother tongue, “Angelo, don’t you worry, it will be okay, mi amico.”

Looking away from him, her gaze collided with a piercing green-eyed one.  The contact sent a jolt through her because she had not been guarding her emotions as she’d turned away from Angelo.  Gripping the arm rests tighter, she tried to look away but her gaze kept returning to that green gaze and the man himself.  Shaking her head, she forced herself to look down at her lap, knowing that he was watching her.  Usually such a gaze made her skin crawl, but this was different.  It was comforting in a way; her thoughts were being drawn away from the imminent danger.


The plane rocked again, this time it was a rough, and it sent her heart plunging.  She looked up, her gaze seeking and finding green eyes.  He gave her a slight smile in return, and then despite the captain’s orders, he took off his seat belt and moved towards her.  The seat to her right was empty and he sat down and put his belt on.

“Don’t be nervous, it only makes it worse,” he advised in a calm intoxicating voice.  “My name is Roberto Dicarlo.”

Lei nodded and was about to introduce herself but he stopped her.

“I know you.  You’re the enchanting Leila Augustino,” he said with a charming smile.  His comment should have unnerved her, but it only made her return his smile. “Of La Leila Fashions.  My sisters are fans.”

“Well,” Lei said with a short chuckle. “Signore Dicarlo, I’m glad to meet you, even though I wish it were under different circumstances.”

Laughing, he reached out and smoothed the crease on her forehead.  “I know what you mean,” he said quietly.

Bringing his hand down, he covered hers with it and slowly unwrapped the fingers from the arm rest and laced them with his own. Staring down at them, he said, “Now, you’re not alone.”

Lei looked at him for a minute before she nodded her head and held on tightly to his warm grip.  Her hand looked so small in his that it seemed so lost.  His heat warmed her, and she couldn’t help holding on tighter.

“Are you always so helpful, Signore Dicarlo?” she asked him.

“I try to be, mostly with a beautiful woman with such sad eyes,” Roberto answered watching her brown eyes. The moment she’d turned and looked at him unaware of the fear reflected in hey eyes, he’d wanted to hold her tightly and protect her.  It had been a surprise to look at her and recognize her when she’d first boarded the plane.  Flanked by the large man he assumed was her bodyguard, a fact that was cemented by watching the man tighten her seat belt.  She’d looked so young.  Dressed in blue faded jeans that hugged her hips and flared at her feet, and a black blouse that hugged her upper body, she was beautiful.  Her long black curly hair was left to fall down to her waist.  She seemed like a little machine of passion and fire.

“I love your clothes,” he said making conversation, trying to distract her from their current situation.

“Thank you, what a strange comment to make for a man such as yourself,” Lei said.

“What?” Roberto asked.

“Well, I design women’s clothing mostly.  How could you love my clothes?”

“I have sisters, remember.  I pay their bills,” Roberto replied easily.

Lei laughed and shook her head at the answer. “Very original, what do you do?”

“I’m a business man, nothing but boardrooms and boring offices for me.”

Lei took in his longish curly black hair that teased the collar of his shirt, the dark immaculate suit, the small silver earring sparkling on his left earlobe. He was hardly a candidate for the boardroom.  He seemed too rakish and potent.

“You doubt me,” he mused. “Why?”

“I have friends who are business men.”

“Ah well, I suppose there are different kinds of boardrooms, my dear.”

“Different kinds,” she scoffed, unaware that she’d relaxed a little bit and was not hanging on to her arm rest too hard. 

Suddenly the oxygen masks came out and the plane plunged downward sending most of the passengers screaming.  Lei couldn’t scream her voice escaped, her heart lurching against her chest, she clutched Roberto’s hand tightly.

“We’re going to crash,” she managed to get out fearfully.

“I think so,” Roberto replied softly.

Closing her eyes, she breathed in and out, Roberto helped her put the oxygen mask on, she checked to make sure Franco had his on they bend and put their heads down.  Roberto placed an arm over her back and hang on.

“This is your captain; we are going for a crash landing.  Please do not panic, everything will be alright. Follow instructions and remain in your seats please.”

Good for them, Lei thought, her mind in turmoil her thoughts on her little girl. Sonya, she thought tearfully.  Please God, she prayed, don’t let me die, not yet, for my Sonya please.”

The next thing she knew there was a loud grating sound and her bones were jarred against each other.  The seat belt held her back and a burst of oxygen seemed to fill her nostrils.  The screams were deafening, she was grateful for the firm comforting arm around her. Then everything was still, no more shaking or turbulence, or grinding, just silence.  Everyone erupted into action, running for the exits despite the crew’s instructions to remain calm.  Someone had already kicked the door open. Roberto unhooked her seat belt and she looked to find Angelo already clearing a way for them towards the exit.

When they were out, Lei turned around noticed that they had landed on the runway, but it had been a rough landing the plane looked battered.  She hardly noticed that she was shaking uncontrollably as Angelo and Roberto led her away from the plane towards the approaching ambulances.

The airport officials made a formal apology and explained the plane had been undergoing some kind of malfunction.  There would be compensation for the scare, and thankfully no casualties just bruising from the seat belts and cuts from the struggle out. 

Lei trembled every time she thought about what could have happened.  She wanted to just crawl into a bed and stay there for a month just holding on to her daughter.  She struggled through the whole process of check-up in an ambulance; she talked to the investigators, and then had to deal with the London customs.  By the time she was finished, she was exhausted, her nerves were frayed and she needed to see her daughter.  Angelo led the way to the exit gates and was about to head her towards a taxi when a uniformed driver stopped them.

“I’ve been instructed to pick you up.”

“By who,” Angelo asked having moved Lei behind him and was now standing in a protective stance.

“Mr. Dicarlo. Please come with me, I mean no harm.”

“Angelo,” Lei said tiredly. “Let’s just go, you’re along it should be fine.”

Seeing how tired she was, Angelo nodded and followed the man to a parked limousine on the curb.  Her suitcases were stowed away and she climbed into the back.  Angelo closed the door and opted to sit in the front with the driver.  Left alone, Lei wondered what Mr. Dicarlo was about.  He seemed like a nice person, but she’d met many of those before.  At the moment thinking about it proved too much a task.  She was exhausted.  Closing her eyes, she fell asleep almost immediately.
                             

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“Have you dealt with Augustino?” Franco Dicarlo asked of his son.

Roberto had always been the one he loved the most of his children.  A truth he would deny in public, because it was not right to make it known.  He was a strong man, charismatic, a leader; they were qualities Franco most admired in a person.  Not to mention the boy had inherited his good looks and mother’s beautiful hair.  Ah, Roberto was a handsome son indeed.

“Not yet, but I will,” Roberto replied using his mother tongue like his father insisted. Franco was a born traditionalist, no wonder he was such a tough boss to work for. “I met his wife though.”

“Ah, the beautiful Leila, I hope she didn’t strike you as romantic material, my son, she’s already a problem for us,” Franco pointed out. “You know the rules of the family.”

“I’m aware papa, I know,” Roberto said quietly, feeling saddened by not seeing Leila Augustino.  “She’s here in London for a week; I’ll bring her to meet you.”

“Why?” Franco asked puzzled by that response.  What was with Roberto today? He seemed disturbed.

“It’s good to meet interesting people papa, don’t argue with me,” Roberto said forcefully.

Franco shut up and stared at his son for a moment.  Since the moment he’d walked in, something about Roberto’s attitude had struck him. He seemed too strung up.  He’d thought the kid was working too much, but maybe, there was something else.  He’d never brought a woman to meet his father.  Never, not even to his mother, yet Mrs. Augustino was now to meet him?

“Bring her on Wednesday, Maria is cooking that day.”

Wednesday was the usual family dinner when his mother cooked for the family. Roberto had never imagined bringing someone else into the foray but, he felt it was the only way he was going to be able to see Leila again.  His father had to meet her and see for himself how good she was.  She didn’t deserve the discrimination from being Augustino’s ex-wife.

“Fine, Wednesday it is,” Roberto agreed without batting an eyelash.  Turning away from the window where he’d been standing, he walked over to his father and leaned down and kissed his cheek.  “I’m going up to change.”

“Bene, you must have had a scare, rest up a bit,” Franco soothed and watched his son leave the room, his head bent in deep thought.

The moment the door closed, Franco reached for a folder on his desk and opened it to reveal a picture of Leila Augustino holding her daughter, Sonya, as she walked through the streets of Milan.  She seemed harried, the bag on her shoulder was heavy and her hair was a mass of disarray. Yet, she still managed to look gorgeous.  So this was the woman, he mused, the one who had capture his son’s interest.

How he’d waited for so long.  He chuckled to himself at the sheer excitement that this was going to be, watching them fall in love.

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“Te amo, my darling,” Lei said into the phone.  She was so happy to hear the sound of her daughter’s voice; it felt like she was whole again.

“Te amo, mamma,” Sonya said in a sweet innocent voice. “I miss you, can I come see you?”

“In a few days, darling,” Lei said her choking up at those words.  She couldn’t imagine having her daughter board a plane after the flight she’d just had.  “I’ll see you soon; now wish me goodnight and lots of kisses.”

“Okay, mamma,” she blew kisses noisily. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight sweets,” Lei said quietly.  When her nanny came on the phone, Lei said. “Tuck her in tight for me, Melissa. I’ll see about flying you guys in to London with the company jet. I don’t want you to take a commercial flight.”

“Yes, signorina, are you alright yourself?”

“I’m fine, Mel.  A little shaken up, but fine, I’ll see you soon.”

“Goodnight, signorina.”

Leila hung up and sat back on her pillows wondering what to do next.  Sleep was the furthest thing on her mind and she needed to keep busy.  They had booked into the hotel Windsor and since she was staying the week, she’d chosen to stay in a penthouse.  Her room was already equipped with a drawing board and pencils, pens and all her work tools. Getting out of bed, she went over to the workstation her assistant had made sure was arranged and decided to do some work instead.

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Lying on his bed, Roberto kept replaying the image of Leila walking into the plane, a small smile on her lips as she listened to what her bodyguard was saying.  She’d looked so beautiful, he’d felt a pang of guilt at thinking her wicked.  He had known then that she was different compared to the other women who were married to men like Augustino.  That ex-husband of hers had definitely chosen well when he’d married.  Too bad he’d left her just hanging alone.  The man was a bastard, in business and in life.  Oh, Leila, Roberto thought turning to his side.  What was he going to do with her?

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